Post on 16-Feb-2022
Context
Currently in the process of significant political
and socioeconomic transition, Myanmar has
the highest rate of poverty in Southeast Asia
with 25.6 percent of the country’s population
living below the national poverty line.
According to UNDP’s 2018 Human
Development Report, Myanmar ranked 148th
out of 189 countries, well below the regional
average. Almost 70 percent of the population
lives in rural areas and subsists on agricultural
production.
Myanmar is highly susceptible to natural
disasters such as cyclones, floods, earthquakes
and landslides. In addition, ethnic armed
conflicts and inter-communal violence in the
northeastern, southeastern and western parts
of the country have displaced hundreds of
thousands of civilians, losing their homes and
livelihood assets. Many of these conflict-
affected populations remain vulnerable to
disaster risks and food insecurity and rely
heavily on humanitarian assistance.
WFP’s Response
WFP’s Asset Creation and Livelihoods (ACL)
programme empowers marginalized and
vulnerable population groups to invest in their
own livelihoods and communities. The ACL
programme implements projects to build or
recover community-owned assets that impact
positively on the food security of communities
in the most vulnerable areas. Along with
the construction of household and community
assets that reduce disaster risk and build
resilience, participation in the programme
allows beneficiaries to receive temporary
employment and food or cash assistance to
address their food consumption gaps.
Since 1994, WFP has enabled returnees and
vulnerable communities in northern Rakhine
Photo : A WFP-supported pond development project in central Rakhine State
State to rehabilitate dams, roads, canals, and
schools. Following the Government’s poppy
eradication programme in 2003, WFP
expanded its ACL programme to ex-poppy
farmers in KoKang and Wa to assist in the
establishment of alternative livelihoods. Since
then, ACL activities have been implemented
in other areas, such as the Central Dry Zone,
Chin, Kachin, Mon, Sagaing, Shan and Rakhine.
WFP’s Country Strategic Plan 2018-2022
introduced a strategic shift to nutrition-
sensitive activities, integrating nutrition
education into WFP projects with the aim of
fostering a gradual transition from
humanitarian assistance to resilience and self-
sufficiency. Integrated into WFP’s school meals
programme, the ACL programme establishes
school gardens to supply fresh produce for
school meals. Nutrition messaging and training
is also emphasized as one of the key project
components, targeting both male and female
participants.
ASSET CREATION & LIVELIHOODS
WFP Myanmar
Regions Beneficiaries
Chin State 8,100
Magwe Region 8,900
Kayah State 3,800
Kayin State 3,900
Sagaing Region (Nagaland) 13,900
Shan State 2,000
Shan State (Wa region) 10,900
Rakhine State 66,200
Total 117,700
BENEFICIARIES IN 2018
Project Activities
ACL initiatives vary based on community needs and
feasibility.
• Land development projects offer an alternative to slash
and burn practices, reducing soil erosion and
deforestation and allowing landless labourers to grow
crops.
• Soil conservation projects increase the productivity of
smallholder farmers. Mini dam and irrigation canal
projects allow the cultivation of winter crops and
summer paddy, improving food security in the
communities.
• Rehabilitation of water supply projects empower
women and children by reducing the time spent
fetching water.
• Disaster risk reduction activities improve community
safety through projects such as land slide protection
and dike construction.
• Road rehabilitation repairs infrastructure destroyed by
natural disasters and creates new roads in vulnerable
areas, promoting access to markets and social services.
• Home Gardening improves access to nutritious and
diverse food for those in need.
Throughout implementation, WFP provides food or cash
to project participants as compensation for their daily
work. Upon completion, the assets created are solely
owned and managed by the community. WFP conducts
follow-up assessments at project sites in the post-
completion period to ensure the benefits are shared fairly
among the community members and to encourage
effective maintenance of the created/rehabilitated assets.
ACL Strategies
In its operational areas, WFP has developed context-
based, area-specific ACL strategies to address acute and
chronic needs and to support sustainable food
production. The strategies are informed by WFP’s Food
Security Monitoring findings which are used to select
project participants on the household and village levels.
To identify the project type, WFP conducts feasibility and
technical field assessments in close coordination with
community members and local authorities, using
corporate tools such as the Community-based
Participatory Planning approach and Seasonal
Livelihoods Programming.
Project Management Committees
WFP puts community participation at the forefront of its
ACL strategy. With technical assistance from WFP and its
cooperating partners, community members in target
areas form Project Management Committees. Members
of the committees participate in needs assessments,
prioritization, design, and implementation of projects.
The committees encourage equal participation and
decision-making by men and women; adapt
the programmes to different needs; and give equal pay
for equal work.
2019 | ASSET CREATION & LIVELIHOODS WFP Myanmar
Wages
Beneficiaries receive food or cash compensation
proportionate to the average amount of daily work. In
Food for Assets projects, participants receive 2.6 kg of
rice, 0.45 kg of pulses, 0.2 kg of oil, and 0.025 g of salt per
working day. In Cash for Assets projects, beneficiaries
employed in areas with safe, functional, and accessible
markets receive compensation equal to the price of
a local food basket. Cash transfers help WFP save time
and transport costs, stimulate the local economy, and
empower beneficiaries to choose how to utilize their cash
assistance, while also helping beneficiaries bridge
food gaps and diversify their food basket.
Partnerships
International and local partnerships enable WFP to
empower communities in the creation and restoration of
assets, improving food security and socioeconomic
opportunities for the most vulnerable groups. Partner
organizations provide budget contributions, knowledge
of local context, and expertise in community
participation, agriculture, and engineering.
The Road Ahead
The ACL Programme is designed in line with WFP’s
Country Strategic Plan 2018-2022, the Government’s
Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan, and the UN
Sustainable Development Goals.
In coordination with the Government of Myanmar at
both national and local levels, UN agencies, civil society,
and INGOs/NGOs, WFP aims for its ACL Programme to
bolster the ultimate goal of its Country Strategic Plan –
to deliver a transition from crisis response humanitarian
assistance to resilience-building focused on livelihoods
and supporting recovery.
Food for Asset Creation
WFP Offices
Cash for Asset Creation
WFP ACL Activities 2019
WFP ACL Assistance in 2018
Total food transfers MT 309
Total cash transfers US$ 1.6 million